Q. What do you think was the most significant political event of 2012?

Total

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

Vote Greens

Implementation of the carbon tax

41%

40%

44%

52%

Rudd leadership challenge

14%

16%

14%

12%

Reopening asylum seeker detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru

9%

7%

11%

8%

AWU slush fund allegations against the Prime Minister

7%

1%

14%

–

Julia Gillard’s sexism speech in Parliament

6%

11%

2%

3%

Bipartisan support for National Disability Insurance Scheme

5%

9%

3%

4%

Australia winning a seat on the UN Security Council

5%

8%

3%

4%

Don’t know

13%

8%

8%

16%

41% think the most significant political event of the year was the implementation of the carbon tax and 14% think it was the Rudd leadership challenge.

All voter groups thought the implementation of the carbon tax was the most significant event.

Liberal/National voters were more likely to think the AWU slush fund allegations against the Prime Minister was most significant (14%) while Labor voters were more likely to think Julia Gillard’s sexism speech in Parliament was most significant (11%).

Respondents were divided about what Kevin Rudd should do – 30% say he should resign from parliament, 29% think he should stay and challenge again and 28% think he should stay and not challenge again.

Among Labor voters, 44% think he should stay and not challenge, while 44% of Liberal/National voters think he should resign from Parliament. 46% of Greens voters think he should stay in Parliament and not challenge again.

Q. Has it been a good or bad year for each of the following politicians?

Total good

Total bad

Very good

Good

Neither good nor bad

Bad

Very bad

Don’t know

Julia Gillard

49%

25%

14%

35%

22%

17%

8%

4%

Bob Brown

38%

21%

9%

29%

28%

11%

10%

13%

Tony Abbott

30%

33%

4%

26%

32%

25%

8%

6%

Malcolm Turnbull

10%

43%

1%

9%

35%

30%

13%

11%

Kevin Rudd

10%

70%

2%

8%

15%

36%

34%

5%

Total

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

Vote Greens

Total good

Total bad

Total good

Total bad

Total good

Total bad

Total good

Total bad

Julia Gillard

49%

25%

69%

8%

36%

43%

57%

17%

Bob Brown

38%

21%

40%

17%

35%

31%

68%

6%

Tony Abbott

30%

33%

19%

45%

44%

21%

17%

54%

Malcolm Turnbull

10%

43%

6%

50%

15%

42%

6%

50%

Kevin Rudd

10%

70%

14%

64%

8%

81%

11%

73%

Overall, Julia Gillard (49% good/25% bad) and Bob Brown (38%/21%) are thought to have had a good year. Respondents were divided on whether Tony Abbott has had a good year (30%/33%).

A majority of their own voters thought Julia Gillard (69%) and Bob Brown (68%) have had a good year but only 44% of Liberal/National voters think Tony Abbott has had a good year. There is a substantial gender difference on the assessment of Tony Abbott – men split 37% good/30% bad and women 23% good/36% bad. Comments »

Q. Do you approve or disapprove of Julia Gillard replacing Kevin Rudd as leader of the Labor Party and Prime Minister?

Total

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

Total approve

47%

68%

36%

Total disapprove

40%

23%

60%

Strongly approve

15%

27%

10%

Approve

32%

41%

26%

Disapprove

19%

11%

26%

Strongly disapprove

21%

12%

34%

Don’t know

12%

9%

5%

Sample = 818

47% approved the change from Kevin Rudd to Julia Gillard as Prime Minister and 40% disapproved. Opinions reflected political party preferences. Labor voters strongly approved the change by 68% to 23% while 60% of Liberal/National voters disapproved and 36% approved. There were no significant differences by gender. However, older respondents were more likely to approve than younger respondents – 55% of those aged 55+ approved and 37% disapproved. Comments »

Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott?

Total

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

21 Jun 10

Julia Gillard

49%

86%

12%

50%

Tony Abbott

29%

4%

73%

32%

Don’t know

22%

11%

12%

18%

Sample = 818

49% preferred Julia Gillard as Prime Minister and 29% preferred Tony Abbott – similar to the results from last week before Julia Gillard became Prime Minister. This is also slightly better than last week’s result for Kevin Rudd when he was preferred over Tony Abbott by 47% to 30%. Men preferred Julia Gillard 47%/33% and women 51%/25%. ﻿ Comments »

Q. Who do you think would make the better Prime Minister out of Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott?

Total

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

22 Mar 10

Kevin Rudd

47%

90%

9%

50%

Tony Abbott

30%

3%

80%

30%

Don’t know

23%

7%

11%

19%

47% believe that Kevin Rudd would make the best Prime Minister and 30% preferred Tony Abbott. This is little changed since the last time this question was asked when Kevin Rudd was preferred 50% to 30%.